PCT Publication WO 01/85094 to Shalev and Gross, which is assigned to the assignee of the present patent application and is incorporated herein by reference, describes apparatus for modifying a property of a brain of a patient, including electrodes applied to a sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) or a neural tract originating in or leading to the SPG. A control unit drives the electrodes to apply a current capable of inducing (a) an increase in permeability of a blood-brain barrier (BBB) of the patient, (b) a change in cerebral blood flow of the patient, and/or (c) an inhibition of parasympathetic activity of the SPG.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,853,858 to Shalev, which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and is incorporated herein by reference, describes apparatus for delivering a Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) supplied to a body of a subject for delivery to at least a portion of a central nervous system (CNS) of the subject via a systemic blood circulation of the subject. The apparatus includes a stimulator adapted to stimulate at least one site of the subject, so as to cause an increase in passage of the NSAID from the systemic blood circulation across a blood brain barrier (BBB) of the subject to the portion of the CNS, during at least a portion of the time that the NSAID is present in the blood, the site selected from the list consisting of: a sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG), an anterior ethmoidal nerve, a posterior ethmoidal nerve, a communicating branch between an anterior ethmoidal nerve and a retro-orbital branch of an SPG, a communicating branch between a posterior ethmoidal nerve and a retro-orbital branch of an SPG, a greater palatine nerve, a lesser palatine nerve, a sphenopalatine nerve, a communicating branch between a maxillary nerve and an SPG, a nasopalatine nerve, a posterior nasal nerve, an infraorbital nerve, an otic ganglion, an afferent fiber going into the otic ganglion, an efferent fiber going out of the otic ganglion, a vidian nerve, a greater superficial petrosal nerve, and a lesser deep petrosal nerve.
US Patent Application Publication 2004/0220644 to Shalev et al., which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and is incorporated herein by reference, describes a method for treating a subject, comprising positioning at least one electrode at at least one site of the subject for less than about 3 hours, applying an electrical current to the site of the subject, and configuring the current to increase cerebral blood flow (CBF) of the subject, so as to treat a condition of the subject. The site is selected from the list consisting of: a sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG), a greater palatine nerve, a lesser palatine nerve, a sphenopalatine nerve, a communicating branch between a maxillary nerve and an SPG, an otic ganglion, an afferent fiber going into the otic ganglion, an efferent fiber going out of the otic ganglion, an infraorbital nerve, a vidian nerve, a greater superficial petrosal nerve, and a lesser deep petrosal nerve. Also described is an apparatus comprising an elongated support element having a length of between about 1.8 cm and about 4 cm, and having a proximal end and a distal end; one or more electrodes fixed to the support element in a vicinity of the distal end thereof; a receiver, fixed to the support element in a vicinity of the proximal end thereof; and a control unit, adapted to be coupled to the receiver, and adapted to drive the electrodes to apply an electrical current to tissue of the subject, and configure the current to have a pulse frequency of between about 10 Hz and about 50 Hz, an amplitude of between about 0.2 V and about 10 V, a pulse width of between about 50 microseconds and about 5 milliseconds, and, in alternation, on periods of between about 1 second and about 2 minutes, and off periods of between about 1 second and about 2 minutes.
The following patent application publications, all of which are assigned to the assignee of the present application and are incorporated herein by reference, may be of interest: WO 03/090599, WO 03/105658, WO 04/010923, WO 04/043218, WO 04/044947, WO 04/045242, WO 04/043217, WO 04/043334, WO 05/030025, and WO 05/030118.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,526,318 to Ansarinia and related PCT Publication WO 01/97905 to Ansarinia, which are incorporated herein by reference, describe a method for the suppression or prevention of various medical conditions, including pain, movement disorders, autonomic disorders, and neuropsychiatric disorders. The method includes positioning an electrode on or proximate to at least one of the patient's SPG, sphenopalatine nerves, or vidian nerves, and activating the electrode to apply an electrical signal to such nerve. In a further embodiment for treating the same conditions, the electrode used is activated to dispense a medication solution or analgesic to such nerve.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,405,079 to Ansarinia, which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a method for the suppression or prevention of various medical conditions, including pain, movement disorders, autonomic disorders, and neuropsychiatric disorders. The method includes positioning an electrode adjacent to or around a sinus, the dura adjacent a sinus, or falx cerebri, and activating the electrode to apply an electrical signal to the site. In a further embodiment for treating the same conditions, the electrode dispenses a medication solution or analgesic to the site.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,788,975 to Whitehurst et al., which is incorporated herein by reference, describes an implantable stimulator with at least two electrodes that is small enough to have the electrodes located adjacent to a nerve structure at least partially responsible for epileptic seizures. The nerve structure may include a trigeminal ganglion or ganglia, a trigeminal nerve, or a branch of a trigeminal nerve, a greater occipital nerve, lesser occipital nerve, third occipital nerve, facial nerve, glossopharyngeal nerve, or a branch of any of these neural structures. Electrical stimulation of such targets may provide significant therapeutic benefit in the management of epilepsy.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,377 to Rise et al., which is incorporated herein by reference, describes techniques for stimulating the brain to treat movement disorders resulting in abnormal motor behavior by means of an implantable signal generator and electrode. A sensor is used to detect the symptoms resulting from the motion disorder. A microprocessor algorithm analyzes the output from the sensor in order to regulate the stimulation delivered to the brain.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,184 to Ishikawa et al., which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a ball semiconductor for stimulating a mass of nervous system brain tissue for therapeutic purposes. The ball is embedded in a mass of nervous system tissue of a brain. Electrical pulses generated and transmitted to the ball by a remote electrical pulse generator system are picked up by a receiving antenna of the ball, and are applied to an electrode pair of the ball to cause the mass of nervous system tissue of the brain located between output pads of the electrode to become stimulated, as therapy for a pathological condition, such as epilepsy.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,606,521 to Paspa et al., which is incorporated herein by reference, describes an implantable medical lead having markings, which aid in the accurate localization of lead electrodes at a specific point of the brain for neurostimulation. Also described is an implantable medical lead having a removable extension that provides a minimal length of excess lead protruding from the lead insertion site. The lead and method of implantation facilitate use of a neurostimulator device that is implanted directly in a patient's cranium.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,591,138 to Fischell et al., which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a system for treating neurological conditions by low-frequency time varying electrical stimulation. The system includes an electrical device for applying such low-frequency energy, in a range below approximately 10 Hz, to the patient's brain tissue. An implantable embodiment applies direct electrical stimulation to electrodes implanted in or on the patient's brain, while a non-invasive embodiment causes a magnetic field to induce electrical currents in the patient's brain.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,343,226 to Sunde et al., which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a quadripolar deep brain stimulation electrode for treating symptoms of central and peripheral nervous system disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, psychiatric illness, and intractable pain. It is important to determine the optimal placement of an implanted electrode. An electrode device is described that allows stimulation of a large volume of neural tissue in combination with simultaneous microelectrode recording. The device is described as allowing for a less traumatic localization of the optimal neural stimulation area by microelectrode recording in combination with the placement of the permanent deep brain stimulation electrode.
US Patent Application Publication 2005/0065427 to Magill et al., which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a method for locating the position of a selected neural center in the central nervous system, including stimulating neurons at a first central nervous system position, measuring the field potential evoked at a second central nervous system position, and comparing the evoked field potential against a known evoked field potential from said neural center.
US Patent Application Publication 2005/0113877 to Spinelli et al., which is incorporated herein by reference, describes implantable devices and methods for treating various disorders of the pelvic floor by means of electrical stimulation of the pudendal or other nerves. Neurophysiological monitoring is utilized to assess the evoked responses of the pudendal nerve, and thereby to provide a method for determining the optimal stimulation site.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,495 to Kovacs, which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a microelectrode interface for localizing the stimulation and recording of action potentials at a portion of a nervous system. A circuit is described for applying current only to one or more selected pairs of microelectrodes in an array of microelectrodes. Row and column select lines, switches and multiplexes are used for passing current only between pairs of microelectrodes at selected locations in the array for stimulating a portion of a nervous system only at selected locations.
The following patents and patent publications, all of which are incorporated herein by reference, may be of interest: U.S. Pat. No. 5,756,071 to Mattem et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,515 to Jolesz et al., PCT Publications WO 03/084591, WO 03/020350, WO 03/000310, WO 02/068031, and WO 02/068029 to Djupesland, US Patent Application Publication 2003/0079742 to Giroux, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,725,471 and 6,086,525 to Davey et al., PCT Publication WO 02/32504 to Zanger et al., US Patent Application Publication 2003/0050527 to Fox et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,432,986 to Levin, PCT Publication WO 99/03473 to Levin, U.S. Pat. No. 6,491,940 to Levin, US Patent Application 2003/0133877 to Levin, and PCT Publication WO 00/44432 to Levin, US Patent Application 2001/0004644 to Levin, PCT Publication WO 01/43733 to Levin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,164 to Zabara, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,341,236 and 6,671,556 to Osorio et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,671,555 to Gielen et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,978,702 to Ward et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,205,359 to Boveja, U.S. Pat. No. 6,470,212 to Weijand et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,640,137 to MacDonald, U.S. Pat. No. 6,735,475 to Whitehurst et al., PCT Publication WO 01/97906 to Whitehurst, U.S. Pat. No. 6,922,590 to Whitehurst, PCT Publication WO 05/062829 to Whitehurst et al., and US Patent Application Publication 2005/0154419 to Whitehurst et al.
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